Upgrading Your Chinese Food with Healthy Swaps

Every week we try to take you on a ethnic journey with our meal plans! Not only does this let us have a little more fun in the kitchen, it keeps things interesting and fresh for you with a variety of flavors throughout the week.

Chinese food is one of my favorite types of cuisine to recreate because it usually makes me feel so sick when I eat it, but I sometimes crave the comfort food.

With summer unofficially behind us, shorter days, and colder weather I thought now would be a great time to give you some tips to create Chinese food at home.

Choose a Healthier Noodle.

When I make LoMein on meal plan I always sub the noodle for a more nutrient rich food. You can go with a spiralized vegetable like zucchini or sweet potato, or choose a gluten free pasta made of lentils or black beans.

I like to use a pasta noodle because they hold up better for meal plan purposes, so keep that in mind if you are planning in advance or making leftovers. If you are eating right away and want to increase your veggie intake go for a zucchini noodle!

Sub the Soy Sauce

We avoid soy on the Hungry Hippie meal plan for a number of reasons, so whenever we make Chinese food we always swap soy sauce for coconut aminos.

Some soy sauce products are also made with the use of tons of chemicals, mold, and gluten so you can have histamine reactions if you have allergies. It is also very high in sodium, and could make you retain water and feel bloated and uncomfortable.

Coconut Aminos are packed with nutrients including 17 amino acids, is low on the glycemic index, and is not processed with mold or gluten!

Thicken Your Sauce with Nut Butters

To be honest I am really not sure what helps traditional Chinese sauces become so thick, but a quick google search showed me that it consists of molasses, MSG, and other sugars.

Those are all ingredients that will make you feel pretty crappy - so instead use natural nut butters with coconut aminos as the sauce.

Make a Flavorful Base

One of the ways I increase the flavor is by creating a base of ginger, garlic, and red pepper sauteed in toasted sesame oil. You can make your own or buy a flavored Coconut Aminos sauce. This helps to create depth of flavor for your dishes!

Sub the Rice

We are definitely not anti rice here, but sometimes you just want to stay away from starches. You can sub the rice for cauliflower rice or other rices vegetables, or replace with Banza Chickpea Rice or Right Rice!

Use a Vegetable Shell

Craving dumplings? I replace the doughy shell with boiled cabbage leaves to get my fill!

Bottom Line: Focus on fresh vegetables and real ingredients and you will have a delicious and healthy meal!